May 16, 2011

Reading Strabo's Geography, I am absolutely amazed! Not only by the easy to read content and critical analyses of his sources, which latter surely were not easy to evaluate given the scientific state of the times, but also by the physical research done: imagine putting all those sources together!

No file folders, no computer to keep one's notes organized and handy, only scrolls and tablets … ;-)

As to Homer, Strabo maybe could recite Homer verse by verse, what do you think?

The literary critic should study not only philology or comparative literature but also the techniques employed by the film maker if he wishes to appreciate those literary works that utilize a kinetic visual approach (montage, variation of viewing angle, alternation of close-up and distance shot, and the like) … Most people who think of Vergil's artistry in visual terms tend to describe him as a painter, citing, for example, the backdrop painting of the harbor scene ( 1.159-69) … Vergil is much closer to being a film director than a painter or a dramatist. The canvas or the stage set must be presented essentially all at once … A painter or playwright can accomplish some of this in a limited way but it would be difficult to sustain. It is this flexibility that we associate with the cinema which is a hallmark of Vergil's great epic.

July 26, 2010

By and large, Greek and Roman military command had it relatively easy
when it came to leaks, civilian casualties and the PR side of warfare.
To put it at its crudest, the imperial Roman legions would go off to
conquer some bit of foreign territory, they would do it any way they
could and come back home and boast about it. Not many people in Rome
knew or cared about war crimes. It was winning that mattered.

Of course, it looked different from the barbarian point of view, but the
barbarians got very little chance to put their point of view at Rome.

March 16, 2010

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying my study of Ancient Rome. The twice-a-month chat motivates me to do my reading thoughtfully. You and the others have graciously shared your knowledge and insights and I am extremely grateful for that. I only wish that a hundred years ago, when I was a schoolgirl translating Caesar and Cicero, that I had known the context of it all – too much emphasis on Person-Number-Tense-Mood-Voice, not enough thrill of the the story.

January 27, 2010

Yesterday, I posed the question on Facebook: 'Do you tend to look for the "About Us" page when visiting a website?' (This in connection with web design.) All respondents did, and there was concern about quality and credentials of a website.

The composer was in the audience and took his bow. He is simply amazing! I had heard he looked frail, but he didn't seem much different to me than at last year's festival which was solely devoted to his music.

July 23, 2009

"Nothing there is beyond hope, nothing that can be sworn impossible, nothing wonderful, since Zeus, father of the Olympians,
made night from mid-day, hiding the light of the shining Sun, and sore fear came upon men." Archilochus

We may know there's a scientific explanation for them, but solar eclipses continue to exert an almost magical power over us. It's not at all clear we've decreased in gullibility since the days when Columbus used his fore-knowledge of an eclipse to hoodwink the Jamaicans.
And even though we know better, during each total solar eclipse, there
will be people blinded by the too tempting sight of an eclipsed sun.

July 16, 2009

There will be no book discussions in August, as usual. Meanwhile, we are entertaining reading suggestions for 2010 so that we'll have a schedule ready sometime in September, giving members sufficient time to look ahead, and maybe get some books on their holiday list.

In his short book "The Future of the Classical," Salvatore Settis,
director of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, writes that "the
marginalisation of classical studies in our education systems and our
culture at large is a profound cultural shift that would be hard to
ignore." At the same time, he asks: "What place is there for the
ancients in a world… characterised by the blending of peoples and
cultures, the condemnation of imperialism, the end of ideologies, and
the bold assertion of local traditions, and ethnic and national
identities in the face of all forms of cultural hegemony? Why seek out
common roots, if everyone is intent on distinguishing their own from
those of their neighbour?"

The points are well made, the questions pertinent, though the
implication is not always as cogent as Settis supposes. After all, one
characteristic of the Roman world was a very similar "blending of
peoples and cultures," as eastern gods and goddesses were introduced to
Rome and worshipped there, and as the emperors came more often from the
provinces than from Italy, let alone Rome.